It all started back in the spring when I was trying to find a simple way to illustrate the best parts of my favourite city: Toronto. After plenty of research, many lists, lots of sketches and several layout ideas, I arrived at a solution. And then after a trip to Montréal this summer (my second favourite city!), I decided to use the same template, and apply everything I love about downtown Montréal (in French, of course).

December, 12, 2012, or 12/12/12, will be the last date of its kind – when all three numerals in a date are the same – for the next 88 years. The next time this will happen is on January 1, 2101, or 01/01/01.

Although there are many notable twelves, one of the most famous (and festive!) is the Twelve Days of Christmas. To celebrate the holiday season, and to commemorate this cosmic event, I've decided to start a small lettering project. For the next 12 days leading up to Christmas, I will be lettering the lyrics to the Twelve Days of Christmas, and posting the results on Instagram and Twitter. If you're not already following me, please join in the fun! You can find me at:

Since the launch of the bilingual cards, I have also had requests for Spanish and Portugese cards – and even volunteers for the translating! These are currently in the works, and should be coming in the new year. As well, a woman in Baghdad had translated the entire blog and cards into Arabic - amazing!
Additionally, a middle school counsellor in Georgia contacted me about adapting the positive etiquette cards to fit middle school scenarios to encourage kindness, respect and pro-social behaviours at the most critical developmental age:

Every adult in our building was given three cards each, wrote their names on the back and were asked to distribute to students when they saw acts of kindness. Four 8th graders were given three each as well, same instructions.

How awesome is that?

And most recently, a Vancouver college student writing a research paper on public transit etiquette requested permission to discuss the etiquette project. I enthusiastically obliged.

What does this all mean? Even though the etiquette project is not in the headlines anymore, people are still engaged and interested in improving public etiquette in their own personalized way, and this is very encouraging. As we head into the hustle and bustle of December, it doesn't hurt to remind everyone to slow down, be courteous, and find little ways to make life better for those around you.